Ways to Beat that Automated Rejection Letter

One of the more helpless feelings a job applicant can have comes after sending out the resume in response to a job post that matches your qualifications, then receiving a uniformed rejection note. What can you do at that point? It's not like you can bargain with a computer. Well, it turns out your resume might have simply been rejected because you lacked the keywords the applicant tracking system (ATS) was programmed to look for. So while you may have the qualifications, your resume failed you. But no fear, there's something you can do about it. The Ladders contacted HR pros to ask about what applicants should do? The consensus: If you applied to a position you believe you're qualified for and you received a uniformed rejection letter, it's probably the resume that deserved the blank "no thanks," rather than you. So what can you do about it? Laurie M. Winslow, principal at Talent Innovations Group, said that the applicant should contact someone within the organization and rework the resume. Winslow said, a smart applicant "will immediately contact the recruitment office of the rejecting organization. If they cannot get through to the appropriate recruiter, I would advise that they speak with a sympathetic administrative assistant - anyone who can guide them as to the best way for them to replace the resume currently in the ATS with one containing the correct keywords and phrases. And once their customized resume has been submitted, I would encourage them to contact the appropriate recruiter (or sympathetic administrative assistant) and request that their updated resume be reviewed for the open position." Winslow also suggested using a different email address the second time around, since that's the most common way for ATS systems to identify past applicants. And, FYI, tweaking the resume does not mean lying about experience or your past history. "As long as those things [in the work-history section] stay the same," Winslow said, "if you just change the resume format to something more usable and more applicable to the job description, there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you don't falsify information." (h/t Bnet)

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Ways to Beat that Automated Rejection Letter

Ryan Derousseau

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Ryan Derousseau